Saltwater Taffy
by zurpocalypse
Summary: {Free! Oneshot} 12 year old Makoto wants to spend Halloween night with his beloved friend, Haruka, who has never heard of the holiday before. There's just one minor problem...


_**Authors Note:**_ _Hella late on this. But enjoy :)_

Leaves had faded from a glossy green to a crisp, bright orange color and fallen on the moist pavement. The crunching sound of them being stepped on filled the air as eager children rushed to their homes after school. All except Makoto Tachibana. The excited boy hopped on his bike, which rested on the bike rails, and sped down the street. The neighborhoods were adorned with plastic tombstones on their laws, pumpkins lined the porch steps and stickers of Hollywood monsters were plastered on the windows. White sheets imitating ghosts hung from trees and plastic zombies crawled from the ground. The boy sped around the corner and reached the bridge that connected the towns. Today was the once in a year opportunity for the chance to dress up in costumes and get free candy. Usually, he would celebrate the holiday with his family, but he had a special someone this year to celebrate with.

He parked his bike lazily on the top of the hill and cautiously slid down the side of the hill. Under the bridge was a running stream that led to the ocean. Makoto walked up a bit on the stones that lined the shore from the grass and maneuvered his way through some large stones. There, he found his dark haired friend, with his back turned to him, staring at the ocean.

"Good evening, Haru!" Makoto called out from the distance, catching the boys attention.

The boy turned his body. Jet black bangs swayed against the cool breeze. The sides of his eyes covered in a light dust of scales, similar to his tale. Deep blue eyes with sharp irises locked into the boys emerald green ones. "Good evening, Makoto. How was school?"

"Same-old-same-old. But I got an A on my project," he boasted as he pulled out a piece of paper.

Harks examined the paper closely. Cut outs of colored paper scattered the canvas. Intricate cut outs of cat like creatures on stenciled, black houses and an amber crescent moon plastered on the top left corner. Haru held the paper and felt the smooth, yet rough material. It wasn't like the smooth paper he had held when he read the crisp white pages of the books he and Makoto occasionally read. The work he held reminded him of an artist he had read about a few days earlier. Piecakoso? Pikasa? Picasso? Haru commented on the boys artistic skill, making the brunette blush. "What is it depicting?" He asked.

"I didn't really think it depicted anything. I just cut out things that looked like Halloween and glued them onto paper."

"Halloween?" He repeated. "What's Halloween?"

Makoto wasn't surprised with his friends lack of knowledge on the spooky holiday. "It's an entire night where kids, and some adults, dress up in all types of costumes and go trick-or-treating." He continued, "But there more stuff to it, like staying up late and watching scary movies, or going to parties, or carving pumpkins and a whole bunch of other stuff. And the best part about Halloween is getting free candy!"

Haruka was aware of the other concepts he had often peeked above the water and observed the other humans with painted faces and bags filled with treats in the previous years. Large melons with carved faces and screams could be seen and heard all the way out in the ocean. But the last one was new to him. "Candy. What's that?"

Instead of explaining the concept to someone who probably hasn't had anything sweet in their life, Makoto removed his backpack and pulled out what looked like a small ball in plastic wrapping. He handed the candy to Haruka, after removing the wrapping, and explained to him the different types of candy and, his personal best, chocolate. Haruka examined the treat with care and delicacy. The felt the smooth exterior with his fingers and smelled the ball. He couldn't quite make out the smell. It was completely alien to him. He took a small, hesitant bite with front teeth.

"This is delicious!" He exclaimed. His teeth and lips stained brown from the chocolate.

Makoto smiled. "I'm so glad you like it. There will be a whole lot more of that when we go trick-or-treating."

Haru looked down at his chocolate stained fingers with disappointment. "Like I told you before. I can't leave the water or else I'll dry out," he exclaimed.

Makoto pouted. He wanted Haruka to experience the joys of his favorite holiday. He also wanted to spend more quality time with his best friend. There's got to be some way for his aquatic friend to enjoy the beloved holiday...

"Why don't I put you in my wagon?" Makoto blurted out.

"Wagon?"

He rubbed his chin as he started putting the pieces together. "It's like a cart that can hold you and the water. That way we can go trick-or-treating without leaving the water."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can bring it down here and I can move you around while still being in water."

Haruka was a bit hesitant with his friends idea. He had never left the ocean before and felt worried about the severe consequences. But seeing his friends vivacious eyes and eager attitude made him change his mind. This was a great opportunity for him to become more in depth with the human world he had long been distant from. Not only that, but he would now be able to get up close to them, with the person he cared for deeply.

"I'm gonna be pirate, so our costumes will match. And we can get more candy because of it!" Makoto pushed himself up and adjusted his backpack. "I'll be back in a bit to get the wagon. See you soon!"Makoto exclaimed as he dashed off.

Haruka waited.

Putting the aquatic boy in the wagon was quite troublesome for Makoto at first. He used his pumpkin shaped pail to scoop out ocean water and ran up and down the hill and filled the wagon with water. The first step was completed quickly. The problem next was to figure out how to safely transport the boy into the deep red contraption. Makoto carried Haruka bridal style through the surrounding boulders. He had already grown tired, underestimating the slim boys weight. He hurried up the side of the hill and carefully placed the boy in the water filled wagon. Haruka's blue tail dangled out the wagon, but it wasn't a huge deal to either of them. At this point Makoto was drenched in sweat. The brunette even promised to himself that he would work out more in case he needed to carry Haruka again. Once Makoto pulled himself together, he grabbed the handle and pulled the wagon down the street.

Makoto wore a pearl white shirt with puffy sleeves and black, slimming pants. His boots had a large, fake gold buckle wrapped round the top rim of his boots. A deep red bandanna was wrapped on the top of his head and an "X" shaped scar was painted on his left cheek. His belt held a plastic sword on the side of this left hip. He had brought a plastic, purple jack-o-lantern for his friend and an orange one for himself when they receive candy.

By this time, the sun had begun to set below the horizon. The sky was colored with all types of oranges, blues and violets. Those same colors were recreated in the form of painted hearts on fairy princesses, safari animals and classic monsters. Families and groups of friends had started to leave their homes with minds set of having fun, playing tricks and candy. Haruka wanted to go up to houses and ask for treats, but they couldn't start yet. Makoto wanted to pick up another friend who was dying to meet the aquatic boy.

_As the boys made their way to Nagisa's house_, they were blocked by a towering stranger.

His entire outfit was black, from his jacket to his shoes. His body would have camouflaged well if it weren't for the bright street lights and his pale face. His hands were tucked in his pockets and his hood covered the top of his head. He had a big, toothy grin on his face, similar to the jack-o-lanterns on display in front of people's yards. Only it emitted a sinister aura rather than a festive one. The smile began to get under Makoto's skin.

"Hey. Nice costume kid," the man commented to the boy in the wagon. He seemed on edge. He darted his brown eyes side to side every once in a while as if he were waiting for something to pop up at any moment.

Haruka thanked the man and added it to the list of compliments he had received. But the brunette felt something in his gut that made him suspicious of the tall man. He smelled of dirt and smoke. Had he smoked a pack cigarettes? But he was to shaken to say anything at the moment. The way his eyes were fixated on his friend was starting to creep him out.

"Do you mind if I can touch your costume?"

"Not at all," Haruka said as he raised his tail.

Makoto wished Haruka hadn't allowed the suspicious man to touch him. This went against all the things his mom had told him about strangers. He wished someone would come up to them and do something.

The man lightly stroked the bright blue tail with the back of his right hand. Makoto was starting to tremble as the mans breathing got heavier for some odd reason whenever he touched Haruka's tail, whereas the aquatic boy thought it was just another human in awe at his stature.

"It feels so soft," the stranger remarked under his breath. His hand slowly slid off of Haruka's tail. He pulled out a camera from his pocket and asked desperately, "Can I take a few photos?!"

Makoto couldn't take it anymore. He took a deep breath and blurted, "I need an adult!"

_"What took you guys so long?!" _The blonde groaned. He sat on the concrete steps of his house. A lollipop stick stuck out from his mouth.

"Sorry, Nagisa. We got caught up in some stuff," the brunette said wearily. He had came all to Nagisa's house while pushing Haruka in front instead of dragging the wagon behind him.

Nagisa was wore a dark purple dress and green and black stripped knee socks. A large, black pointed hat made it seem he was taller than he looked. Nagisa explained that he had planned to be a wizard for Halloween, but his sisters tricked him into dressing as a tiny witch. Makoto pitied the boy.

The blond shrugged it off and shifted his interest to the boy in the wagon. "Is that the guy you're always talking about?" He asked, curious rose colored eyes locked onto the shimmering tail of the boy in the wagon.

Makoto nodded.

"Wow. He's just as cool as you say he is. His eyes are just like the ocean." Nagisa examined the boy more. He poked his tail a bit and rubbed his hands on the scales on the side of Harukas face. "And he's super pretty too!"

Haruka blushed a bit when he found out that his friend had talked about him with his other companions.

The small boy marveled at the blue eyed boys features. His big eyes examined his face and tail, which only embarrassed the merboy even more. Nagisa extended his hand to him and greeted him. Haruka was able to understand his gesture as a way of saying hello, since Makoto taught him earlier on when they first met months ago, and shook his small hand.

As they walked up the block, Nagisa told the boy that he knew Makoto from a swim club they practice in. Makoto continued to push the mermaid in front from here on out. The small boy was very bubbly and talkative. Words spewed out from his mouth like ink from an octopus. His sun blond hair bounced up and down with every exclamation he made about all the candy he would consume and trade off, gloating that he was the candy marketing king. He also mentioned that they had another close friend with them, but he was still off in Australia. A place Haruka had heard about only for its warm, clear waters and beautiful coral reefs. He had recalled Makoto mentioning him a couple times in their conversations as well. From the sound of it, this person sounded very passionate about swimming.

"This is your first time trick-or-treating, right?" Nagisa blurted out randomly. It seemed that he had interrupted his own conversation.

Haruka nodded.

Nagisa and Makoto exchanged smiles. Haruka grew confused on their silent communication. The tall brunette placed his back against the smaller boys and chimed, "Well, you know what that means, Nagisa?"

The blond nodded. He snickered, "Guess we'll have to make this..."

The pulled their hands just below their chins and curled their fingers into their palms. They continued, "The best Halloween ever!"

Haruka arched his eyebrow. This was by far the strangest presentation he's ever witnessed when it came to meeting a new people. But it was quite entertaining. They haven't even started, and yet, he felt that this day would be much more than "better".

Nagisa continued to chat with Haruka as the trio walked down the leaf covered street. He asked questions ranging from where he lived to what type of food he ate. Haruka explained that he slept wherever was the most comftorable, like on a warm bed of sand on a deserted or wrapping himself in seaweed and snoozing. As of food, he ate fish and plant life like any other mer-creature, but preferred to eat mackerel over any other food. He had also mentioned that he had parents as well, but rarely saw them, since they are away with the other mer-people most of the time discussing human events and precautions if any were to spot one of their kind.

Harukas eyes lit up. The first house they stopped at was a two story house with large stickers of skeletons dancing on their window. They had worn ripped pink dresses and bolas soaked tuxedoes. The dried lawn had decapitated heads and mangled limbs of arms and legs from an unlucky dummy. Fake blood had smeared on the limbs. Large, bright pumpkins trailed up the edges of the steps with exaggerated smiles and angry faces carved into them. This house had played a track of monster noises to give the house a more terror feel. Haruka and Nagisa had gotten excited, whereas the fright definitely got to the little pirate.

Makoto's legs had trembled as he and his friends waited in the line that seemed to stretch down the block with kids of all ages. Nagisa was to engulfed in the idea of him swimming in a pile of candy to notice the brunette distress, but Haruka was able to sense it. He had asked his friend if he was feeling well, and received a weary smile and a soft, "I'm fine". Luckily to him, the owners of the house had been seated in plastic lawn chairs just in front of the stairs, making it easy to hurry out of the property. The man was dressed as Santa Clause and the woman was dressed as Mrs. Clause. An odd costume choice to go with their exterior decorations. The cold hadn't bothered the merboy at all during the entire night. When their turn had come, Makoto and Nagisa had received their candy, but paused momentarily when the lady laid eyes on Haruka. Specifically, his tail.

"Trick-or-treat," Haruka had announced, as he held out his pumpkin shaped pail. A sparkle in his eyes as he waited to receive a treat.

"My, my. What an amazing costume," she commented. There was a hint of pity in her voice. Disguised by a compliment.

He reached into his pail and grabbed the first piece of candy he could grab. He pulled out a tiny treat with a pale blue wrapper with twisted ends. He placed it in his tongue and rolled it around his mouth. This was odd. This treat wasn't at all the same as the chocolate Makoto had given him earlier. It had more of a salty taste, rather than a sweet, silky one. He chewed it a bit and spit it out onto the wrapper. "Makoto. Why does this taste like the ocean?"

Makoto examined the treat and explained, "This is taffy, Haru. And from the taste of it, it probably saltwater taffy."

"Taffy? You mean there's more types of candy?"

Makoto nodded.

Haruka could now imagine the excitement that Nagisa had felt earlier. He imagined himself being able to swim in a sea of Halloween treats and candies. Throughout the night, he was often given more candy than his other two friends. Unbeknownst to him, the adults handing out the candy would take pity on him in belief that he had an ailment. Most of the time, Haruka would have to wait at the bottom of the stair case in most homes since he was in a wagon. The adults would go down to him and hand him a fistful of treats. Makoto didn't mind, but Nagisa had grown jealous. His jealousy ended when they entered a home with an orange bowl that read "Please take one. Happy Halloween". After Haruka and Makoto had taken one, the blond slyly dumped the whole bucket of candy into his bag. Makoto would later find out and scold him on it.

They had walked across the black gates of a forest like park, their bags of candy dragging behind them, when they heard a cry for help. With Nagisa being the hero he is, he ran toward the voice, followed by Makoto and the aquatic boy. They had hidden behind a thick bush to cover them.

A boy with bright red glasses, who looked as though he could have been in the same grade the trio, was cornered with his back against a tree by two large, round boys dressed in dark colors. One boy had short, wiry hair where as the other was much rounder and had short, chopped hair. The larger boys spoke louder than thunder, but their enunciation was terrible. They had repeatedly shoved him against the tree, leaves had felled from the branches with each blow. The spectacled boy hesitantly handed them his bag of candy. The amber light from the street lamps revealed their smug faces.

Nagisa had accidentally hit the slim boy in the head. As the boy slid his body in a squat and covered his head with his arms, Nagisa had gotten more stones and pelted the larger boys with them. Makoto and Haru had followed later on. Feeling overwhelmed, the boys scurried away out the entrance. Though, they had managed to snag the bag of candy. The blond rushed to his side, followed by Makoto pulling the wagon with his blue eyed friend.

"What's their problem?" The blond averted his eyes back to the trembling boy. "What's your name?" He asked as he extended his small hand out to him.

He clasped his hand with Nagisa's and brought himself up. He stuttered in a soft, startled voice, "M-My name is Rei Ryuzaki."

"Woah. You have a girly name too!"

"T-Too?"

The three boys nodded. Nagisa pointed to each of them and presented their names.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your costume?" Makoto asked.

Rei adjusted his crooked glasses with his thumb and index finger and exclaimed, "I'm Albert Einstein! One of the greatest scientists of all time!" A hearty laugh followed after. "Let me guess. Your Captain Hook?"

"No. I'm just a regular pirate." He flashed his hands. "See. No hook."

"And I'm a witch?" Nagisa added. "I wanted to be a wizard, but my sisters said I would look cuter if I was a witch instead," he sulked.

The boy giggled at Nagisa's comment. Rei had changed his sight to the boy in the wagon. He took a few steps closer and examined the body. "It can't be polyester," he said. "What is your costume made of?"

"It's not a costume," Haruka replied. "It's-"

"Those are the chumps that were taking my candy!" A familiar, nasally voice yelled.

The two boys had returned, with more company. The guy in the middle seemed as though he were in high school. Maybe a freshman. His hair looked wiry like his smaller counterpart and his chin was covered in facial hair. A large, dark blue hooded jacket showed a patch of a seahorse, a mascot of a local high school probably.

"Give us your candy, you sissy wimps," he demanded in a deep, sickly voice.

"We don't owe him anything. Just leave us alone," Haruka stated.

"I don't think you heard me right. I said-"

"I'm not deaf. I heard you crystal clear and we say no."

The three boys could believe what they were hearing. If it were any other boy, he would have certainly given up and wet himself in the process. But Haruka was being completely serious and he wasn't going to stand down and give up his hard earned treats for the likes of them. He had tested the mans patience. The supposed high schooler had stomped toward the boy, placed his large, meaty hands on the edge of he wagon and had flipped it over. Haruka had fallen onto the now damp grass. All the water had seeped into the earth and his candy spilled onto the lawn.

The boys had cried his name. They had feared that Haruka was severely hurt, but Makoto was more concerned. He knew that if Haru was left without water for a long period of time, he would dry out and, if worst comes to worse, most likely lose his life. Makoto had tried to dash toward his friend, but the rounder fellow grabbed his forearm tightly. Nagisa and Rei were held back by the other boy. As Makoto tried to wiggle his way out of his grip, his attention was caught by something miraculous. The boys had followed his reaction as well.

Their breaths were stuck in their throats once Haruka's tail had begun to change. Even the merboy was speechless. The tail faded from a light blue to a cream color. The tail separated into two long stub. The blue scales on the sides of his face had faded with his creamy skin. It wasn't long before the flipper turned into feet and into a pair of pale, slim legs. The boys were struck with awe and confusion. A little spooked as well.

The trembling bullies had released their grip on the boys and ran across the field faster than a bolt of lightning. Their cries for their mom could be heard from the gate. A few moments of awed silence covered the park.

"Wow, Haru! You really were a mermaid!" Nagisa blurted. His eyes widened with surprise.

Haruka gave him a _told you _glance. He tried to push himself up, but his legs had collapsed under him. It felt as though his legs were filled with sand, falling from his thigh to his foot. The three boys had hurried to his side and held up his arms over their shoulders. Rei had given the nude boy his lab coat to cover up.

"This is a remarkable," Rei commented. His eyes glued to Haruka's legs. "The world must know about this discovery!"

"Sorry to put you down, but Haruka isn't a mermaid anymore. He's an actual boy now, just like us," Makoto stated.

Haruka's head ran with those words. He was no longer a citizen of the sea. All his life he had been told that I'd had dried up he would have died. That was obviously not the case anymore. Some part of him believed that this wasn't happening. Looking down and seeing the two pale stalks of human flesh and bone left him speechless. He wiggled his toes and rubbed his feet against his calf. He even poked his legs to make sure he wasn't hallucinating on the sugar from the candy.

"Wait 'till Rin hears about this," Makoto mumbled to himself. He moved his eyes to the curious Haruka and asked, "What do you wanna do now, Haru? Now that your human."

Haruka gave the boy a serious stare. He didn't know what to, but an idea had poped up in his mind. The sides of his lips curled upward slightly, "I can finally go up the stairs now."


End file.
